The present invention relates generally to removable gas burner units, and more specifically to gas barbecue grills and other gas cooking devices having removable gas burner units and methods of assembling and repairing such removable gas burner units in cooking devices.
Gas cooking devices, including gas barbecue grills, are very widely used today. Typically, gas cooking devices utilize natural gas or liquid petroleum gas as fuel. With respect to outdoor gas cooking devices, most of such devices generally include a cart or support frame, often with wheels, that supports a firebox or cooking chamber. The cooking chamber usually has a lower portion and a hinged upper portion or cover. One or more gas burners are located inside the lower portion of the cooking chamber, and a cooking grid is positioned above the burners. Further, a heat-transferring material or object is generally located between the gas burners and the cooking grid. In the past, the heat-transfer material was comprised of lava rock. The assignee of the present invention, however, developed a gas grill employing conductive sear bars which eliminate the need for lava rock. Such a grill is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,677,964. Finally, a fuel supply provides the burners with the fuel for burning. Typically, the fuel supply is a portable fuel tank which is supported on the support frame.
Generally, burners for gas cooking devices are separately fixed in place. As described in the ""964 patent at column 6, lines 52-68, and as illustrated in FIG. 8 of the ""964 patent, during assembly of the grill each of the burners are separately inserted into the grill and fixedly fastened to the grill with a threaded fastener. Fastening of the burners to the grill not only increases the complexity and duration of assembly, but it also makes disassembly and cleanup of the grill components more difficult and time consuming. Nevertheless, several cooking devices employing removable cooking means have been developed.
In an effort to provide cooking of food in two different modes, the inventors of U.S. Pat. No. 4,819,614, assigned to W.C. Bradley Company, developed a grill that may be used as an electric or gas-fired unit, with a suitable burner element, and which may also be used as a charcoal grill. In an effort to serve this purpose, the ""614 patent discloses a removable tray having a plurality of semi-circular channels. The two surfaces of the semi-circular channels operate as a top and bottom of the removable tray. Because the tray is reversible, the tray serves as a combination charcoal receiving and retaining means, and as a heat radiant means. As shown in FIG. 3 of the ""614 patent, a gas burner or electric heating element is fixedly mounted to the grill near the bottom of the firebox. In the charcoal mode, the semi-circular channels are positioned in the upper-facing concave position and are filled with charcoal, and the gas burner is fixedly mounted to the grill below the removable tray to ignite the charcoal. In the gas mode, the tray is removed from the grill and inserted back is the grill in an inverted or position (i.e., reversible). As such, the channels have an upper-facing convex surface which is used to shield the burner and incinerate substantially all of the grease and other liquids dripping from the food being cooked on the above cooking grid. While the charcoal holding tray of the ""614 patent is removable from the grill, the gas and electric burners are not removable as they are not part of the tray, but rather the gas and electric burners are fixed to the grill.
A removable cooking grid design is found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,213,027, assigned to The Alexander Oven Co., Inc. The ""027 patent generally discloses a barbecue grill with a removable cooking grid positioned above a fixed primary heat source. A frame is used for supporting the cooking grid. Further, a drawer element is connected to and supports the frame of the cooking grid for rollably withdrawing the cooking grid from the main chamber. With the use of sliding elements, the cooking grid may be both elevated or lowered to adjust cooking speed of food atop the cooking grid. Additionally, the cooking grid may be withdrawn from over the main heat source to examine cooking progress or to remove food. The gas fueled heat source, however, is fixedly positioned in the lower portion of the main cooking chamber, and is maintained separate from the removable cooking grid.
Another cooking apparatus with a removable burner is found in U.S. Pat. No. 3,938,494, assigned to Guaranteed Weather, Inc. The ""494 patent discloses a cooking apparatus adapted for multi-purpose use as a grill, oven, stove or patio heater. The cooking apparatus comprises a lower housing with an open bottom and a hinged cover. Multiple cooking grids are positioned in the lower housing, and the housing has a door to allow a user to access the lower of the cooking grids. Below the lowest cooking grid is a grate, also positioned in the lower housing. A single gas burner extends about the lengthwise portion of the chamber of the lower housing adjacent the open bottom, and can be regulated for cooking to produce a flame to heat lava rock positioned on top of the upper portion of the grate. The upper portion of the grate is xe2x80x9cpositioned about 2 inches above the burner.xe2x80x9d Two support bosses on the rear wall of the housing, and two support bosses on the front wall of the housing are located to support the grate at the desired elevation within the housing. The grate has a generally rectangular member with two intermediate longitudinal stringer wires. A series of short V-shaped formed wires are welded at their outer ends to the longitudinal member, and at their inner ends to the associated stringer. As such the grate is provided with a xe2x80x9cgull wing configuration.xe2x80x9d Additionally, a U-shaped yoke having a lateral extension support bracket is welded to and dependent from the raised center portion of the grate to provide a cradle support for the valve end of the gas burner. The burner is similarly supported by drop center struts at the center portion and at the opposite end of the grate so that no additional supporting structure is required for the burner.
The burner of the ""494 patent is readily removable from the lower section of the housing and from the burner grate by disconnecting the quick disconnect, then tilting the closed end of the burner upwardly while simultaneously moving the burner endwise to draw the burner valve through a key-hole shaped side port in the grill. The grate can then be separately removed by a different means. Finally, the burner and the grate can be placed directly in a home fireplace for winter use to provide a gas-fired fireplace burner.
A barbecue grill employing a lower grill burner enclosure is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,186,159. The ""159 patent discloses a removable burner assembly that attaches to and below the lower portion of the grill housing. The lower portion of the grill housing has no bottom wall, however, the burner assembly has a closed bottom member that forms the bottom wall of the grill housing when the burner assembly is attached to the grill. The burner is attached to the burner assembly with a bracket fixedly connected to the bottom wall member of the burner assembly. The removable burner assembly attaches to the upper enclosure of the grill with the use of lip at the rear, and an L-shaped spring clip which engages and rests upon the front ledge of the upper enclosure.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,050,177 discloses a multi-fuel, fuel isolated cooker comprising a stainless steel box having side walls and a bottom, with a combustion chamber 13. The combustion chamber 13 is entirely enclosed and removable fuel drawer inserts may be inserted therein from the outside of the cooker. One fuel drawer insert, disclosed in FIG. 9, includes a gas burner assembly welded to the bottom of the fuel drawer.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,706,643 discloses a charcoal grill with an optional gas assembly. The gas assembly includes a burner with a pair of opposed flanges. The gas assembly can be inserted into a side of the grill and mounted by having the opposed flanges rest at the end of a tray slide. To ignite the burner assembly, it is partially removed from the grill and lit with a match. The lit burner is then inserted into the grill. In the charcoal mode a charcoal basket is provided with a charcoal clean out tray therebelow. The clean out tray may be inserted in the same opening as the gas burner when the gas burner is removed.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,802,413 discloses a camping stove having a sheet metal case comprising a rectangular box with a window in the front side of the box. A drawer like element mounting assembly is retained in position in the camping stove by means of a pair of channel members which are fixedly secured inside the sheet metal case. The channel members are adapted to slidably engage the sides of the mounting assembly. The drawer-like element mounting assembly has a closed top and bottom.
In view of the prior devices, a cooking apparatus with an improved removable burner assembly is desired.
The removable burner assembly of the present invention provides a burner assembly that can be inserted and removed from the grill as a unit for purposes of assembly, cleaning and replacement. Generally, the removable burner assembly comprises a burner frame, a burner and a manifold. The burner is connected to the burner frame and the manifold is in fluid communication with the burner. Further, the burner frame, with the connected burner, is adapted to be removably mounted in the housing of the grill. And, the removable burner assembly is adapted to be inserted and removed from the cooking chamber of the barbecue grill.
According to one aspect of the present invention, the burner frame, with the connected burner, slidingly engages the housing of the grill. In one embodiment the burner frame engages a ledge on the grill housing.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the burner frame has an open top and an open bottom. The open top and the open bottom assist in allowing grease and other droppings to fall from the cooking grate through the burner assembly.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the burner frame is defined by a perimeter of members of the burner frame. The burner frame has a first side member, an opposed second side member, and a transverse member. The transverse member connects the first and second side members. The first and second side members may define a perimeter of the burner frame, and the burner or the plurality of burners are located within the perimeter of the burner frame.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a front frame member of the burner frame is provided. The front frame member connects the first and second side members. Typically, the front frame member is located between the manifold and the rear member of the burner frame. In one embodiment, the front frame member is adapted to engage the housing of the grill when the burner assembly is fully seated in the grill.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the transverse member of the burner frame and the manifold each have a length, respectively. In one embodiment, the transverse member and the manifold are exchangeable with an extended rear member and an extended manifold, respectively, to increase the length of the burner frame of the removable burner assembly and to accommodate a greater number of burners for the burner assembly.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the burner frame has a first mating member adapted to mate with a second mating member of the barbecue grill to locate the burner frame within the cooking chamber of the barbecue grill. The mating members assist the burner assembly in being inserted and removed from the barbecue grill. In one embodiment, the second mating member is a portion of the grill housing, and the opposed side members of the burner frame are adapted to engage the second mating member to locate the burner frame within the cooking chamber of the barbecue grill.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a control valve is adjacent the manifold and the burner to control the flow of fuel from the manifold to the burner.
According to another aspect of the present invention, an ignitor is connected to the burner frame. The ignitor is located adjacent an outlet of the burner to ignite fuel being expelled from the openings in the burner.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the removable burner assembly may have a plurality of burners. In this embodiment the manifold is in fluid communication with the plurality of burners. Further, the manifold is adapted to be connected in fluid communication with the fuel supply of the barbecue grill.
According to another aspect of the present invention, one of the plurality of burners is a primary burner, and at least a different one of the plurality of burners is a secondary burner. Typically, a first control valve is located adjacent the primary burner, and a second control valve is located adjacent the secondary burner. The first and second control valves independently control the flow of fuel through the primary and secondary burners, respectively. Further, an ignitor is typically positioned adjacent the primary burner to ignite the fuel being expelled from the primary burner.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a flame cross-over member is provided between the primary burner of the plurality of burners and the secondary burner of the plurality of burners. The flame cross-over member provides ignition for fuel in the secondary burner after the fuel being expelled from the primary burner has been ignited.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the plurality of burners comprise a plurality of sets of burners. Each set of burners has a primary burner, a secondary burner, and a flame cross-over member fluidly connecting the primary burner and the secondary burner, and wherein each of the plurality of sets of burners are located within the boundary of the burner frame. An ignitor may be adjacent each primary burner to provide separate ignition of the fuel for each set of burners.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the plurality of burners further comprise an independent primary burner. The independent primary burner is located within the boundary of the burner frame and is adjacent one of the sets of burners. The independent primary burner may be utilized as a burner for a smoker assembly.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a removable burner assembly and barbecue grill are provided. The barbecue grill has a housing with a cooking chamber, and a support member depending from an interior of the housing. The housing further has a bottom wall, and a hood enclosing a top of the cooking chamber. Typically, the barbecue grill is supported by a support assembly. The removable gas burner assembly for the barbecue grill has a burner frame having an open top and an open bottom. A burner is connected to the burner frame, and a manifold is in fluid communication with the burner. The burner frame further has a mating portion removably engaging the support member to support the removable gas burner assembly within the housing of the barbecue grill.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the housing of the barbecue grill has an aperture through a wall thereof. The removable gas burner assembly is inserted into the barbecue grill housing through the aperture. Further, the removable gas burner assembly slidingly engages the support member of the housing through the aperture. In one embodiment, a portion of the burner frame assembly extends outside of the cooking chamber even when the burner frame assembly is fully seated in the barbecue grill.
According to another aspect of the present invention, methods of servicing a removable burner assembly are provided. One method includes identifying components of the burner assembly that require servicing. Another method includes removing the burner assembly as a unit from the barbecue grill. Another method includes cleaning the burner assembly. Another method includes repairing the burner assembly. Another method includes replacing components of the burner assembly.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention, another method of servicing a removable burner unit for a barbecue grill having a housing with an aperture in a wall thereof is provided. The method comprises the steps of identifying a burner assembly having an open top and an open bottom, the burner assembly comprising a burner frame defined by opposed first and second side members and a transverse member connecting the first and second side members, a plurality of burners connected to the burner frame, a manifold in fluid communication with the burners, a flame cross-over member connecting at least two of the plurality of burners in fluid communication, the flame cross-over member being distal the manifold and within a boundary of the burner frame, an ignitor adjacent one of the plurality of burners, and a gas line extending from the manifold to a connector fluidly connected to a fuel supply; disconnecting the gas line from the connector; removing the burner assembly from the grill by sliding the burner assembly out the aperture in the grill housing; servicing the burner assembly; and, mounting the burner assembly back in the grill by sliding the burner assembly at least partially into the grill housing through the aperture in the grill housing.